Automatic rope sling couplers



April 1957 0. E. KENWORTHY 2,790,671

AUTOMATIC ROPE SLING COUPLER-S Filed July 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 30, 1957 o. E. KENWORTHY 2,790,671

AUTQMATIC ROPE SLING COUPLERS Filed July 28, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent f O AUTOMATIC ROPE SLING COUPLERS Oswald E. Kenworthy, Kingston, Pa.

Application July 28, 1954, Serial No. 446,253

4 Claims. (Cl. 294-76) to uncouple them so as to release the said material, in

which case the device of the present invention can be quickly and easily manipulated to effect said release.

The general object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, rugged and eflicient device for coupling together two endless rope slings and for instantaneously releasing the said slings when desired.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a rope sling coupler comprising a pair of opposed end wall members securely fastened in spaced relation by means of a plurality of transverse members, which transverse members provide bearings for a latch member which is slidable relative thereto along a path between and parallel to the said end wall members. The latch member is movable between two positions, in one of which it extends between two of the transverse members and constitutes a pin around which the slings to be coupled are looped, and in the other of which positions the pin or latch member is retracted so as to leave unobstructed the space between the aforesaid two transverse members, thus freeing the two rope slings.

A feature of the present rope sling coupler resides in the fact that the upper end of each of the respective end wall members is bevelled substantially to a point so that, when the latch is retracted to release the coupled slings, the material carried between the slings may fall away without catching on the coupler or, conversely, the coupler may be drawn upwardly through the pile of material without hindrance. Another feature of the invention is that the coupler may be easily and inexpensively fabricated from standard steel shapes, without the necessity for any machining or other skilled workmanship.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rank of pulpwood logs suspended between a pair of rope slings coupled together, at the bottom, by the coupler of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an endwise view corresponding to Figure 1 showing the coupler of the present invention at the middle point of the bottom of the rank of logs, with a trip rope attached thereto and extending upwardly through the middle of the rank;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the coupler per se;

Figure 4 is a central transverse vertical section showing the coupler of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal vertical section through the coupler; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive language is employed. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that various changes and alterations are contemplated such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art towhich the invention relates.

Referring now to Figures 3-6, inclusive, the rope sling coupler of the present invention comprises opposed 'end wall members 11 and 12, secured together in parallel spaced relationship by transverse members 13, 14 and 15. In normal use the coupler will be oriented'as shown in the drawings, therefore the end walls 11 and-12,,may be referred to as vertical walls, and the transverse members 13, 14 and 15 may be regarded as horizontal members. These members are preferably arranged in parallel relation, as shown, and the structure may be further braced by triangular fillets 16 extending between the upper'ends of the end members and the upper surface of the horizontal member 13. All of the members described thus far may be fabricated from steel plate of suitable thickness, and secured together by welding.

Preferably, the device is further reinforced by interposing between the horizontal members 13 and 14, a short section 17 of cylindrical pipe, which may be welded in place, and a further short section 18 of pipe of the same diameter may be welded beneath the lowermost horizontal member 15. The space defined by the end members and lying between the horizontal members 14 and 15 remains unobstructed except, in one position, by the latch member which will now be described.

Each of the horizontal members 13, 14, 15 is provided with a circular central aperture, within and through which a latch member 19 is slidably mounted. The latch member 19 may be fabricated from a section of steel pipe of suitable diameter, one end of which is flattened as at 20 and provided with apertures 21 to accommodate a pin 22 retained by cotter pins 23. The member 19 is preferably cross-braced by plates 19a and 19b, welded in place, to prevent crushing. A collar 24 is welded to the outer surface of the latch 19 in such position that it will abut and rest upon horizontal member 14 when the latch is in the position illustrated in solid lines in Figure 4, and will abut horizontal member 13, and prevent the latch from being removed entirely from the coupler, when the latch is in the dotted line position of Figure 4. It will be noted that when the latch is in the latter position, the bottom of the latch lies entirely outside of the space between horizontal members 14 and 15, leaving the latter unobstructed. For manipulating the latch, a trip rope 25 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) may be secured about the pin 22.

In using the rope, sling coupler of the present invention, for example in handling pulpwood logs, a pair of endless rope slings 26 and 27 are linked together by the latch 19 as seen in Figure 4. The slings are then drawn out to their full extent, in opposite directions, and a rank or pile of logs is laid against them, on either side of the coupler. The trip rope 25 is, of course, extended upwardly between the logs as the pile is built. When the pile is of the desired height, the outer ends of the respective rope slings are wrapped about the pile and brought together at the top, where they may be connected by any suitable means, for example a clevis 28 and clevis pin 29. The latter may be engaged by the hook of a crane or other suitable loading apparatus, while the trip rope 25 is engaged by the hook 30 on the end of a trip line 31 under the control of the operator of the crane or other loading apparatus.

. a 3 1 When the rank of legs -is assembled inthe manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,it may be lifted from a truck or other vehicle onto a railroad car, or a boat, or simply deposited oil th'e gro'unds If, their, the trip rope25 is pulled, the latch 19 will'be lifted to the dotted lihe' position of Figure .14, releasing 'tlielower ends 'of "the rope slings 2 6and Z7, fr'eeihg the pneer logs. A further pullupon the trip rope '25 will r'aise thecou'pler through the pile of logs, read for further use, while at Ithe same time'the rope slings arejpulled from beneath the pile of'logs by upward movement of the crane hook. If desired, the logs or other-material retained between the rope slings be released in mid-air, bypullin'g thetrip'rope 25.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed a's new and"desired to be"s'ecured by Letters Patent is: 1.'A rope slingcouple'r comprising a frame including opposedvertical end walls, means rigidly connecting said end ,walls in spaced relation and including horizontal members extending in parallelism between 'said end walls, saidhorizontal members having vertically aligned apertures therethrough, alatch member s'lidablymounted in said apertures, means limiting the sliding movements of said latch member, said latch member extending through and'between two of said horizontalmembers in one position and leaving an unobstructed space, open at opposite sides, between said two horizontal members in another position, in which space two rope sling terminal loops may be positioned to encircle said latch member, and means for attaching a trip rope to said latchmember.

2. A rope sling coupler comprising a frame including end walls, means rigidly connecting said end walls in spaced relation and including transverse members extending between said end walls, said transverse members having aligned apertures therethrough, a latch member slidably mounted in said apertures, means limiting the sliding movements of said latch member, said latch member extending through and between two of said transverse members in one position and leaving an unobstructed space, open at opposite sides, between said two transverse members in another position, in which space two rope sling terminal loops 'may be positioned to encircle said Iatch member, and means for attaching a trip rope to said latch member.

3. A rope sling coupler according to claim 2, said transverse members comprising three parallel horizontal plates. V

4. A rope slin'g coupleraccordingto claim 2 each of said opposed end walls being bevelled substantially to a point at one end thereof.

Retere'iices'Cited in the file er this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 153,686 shim Aug, 4, 1,874 829,879 Mallon Aug. 28, 1906 1,198,139 Lyon Sept. 12, 1916 1,651,607 Kurtz Dec. 6, 1927 2,673,116 Baird Mar. 23, 1954 

